Flood control projects to hasten with new procurement law —House leader

The passage of the new procurement law will help speed up the completion of projects that will ease flooding in Metro Manila, House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales said Tuesday.

Gonzales noted that fixing the frequent flooding in Metro Manila needs feasibility studies, detailed engineering design, quantification, and soil boring tests, among others.

“A feasibility study and approval by the NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) board would take one and a half years. ... But with the new procurement law...you can award the project within 27 days from advertisement. You can already be issued notice to proceed. And the project won’t be awarded to the contractor without a plan,” he said.

Republic Act 12009 or the New Government Procurement Act shortens the procurement period of action from 90 days to 60 days—from the opening of bids to the awarding of contracts. Likewise, the new law allows for the Most Economically Advantageous and Responsive Bid and the Most Advantageous and Responsive Bid rather than the Lowest Calculated and Responsive Bid under the old law.

Gonzales said that the more efficient procurement process under the new law should also address the country’s shortage of 21,000 geodetic engineers, architects, civil engineers, and mechanical engineers based on the information that Public Works and Highways Secretary Manny Bonoan gave him.

“I have informed [Budget] Secretary Amenah Pangandaman about this, that we should be able to fill that 21,000, so as to also increase the absorptive capacity of the government agencies implementing the projects,” Gonzales said.

The heavy flooding due to monsoon-enhanced super typhoon Carina has prompted the government to place Metro Manila as well as some Luzon and Mindanao provinces under a state of calamity.—LDF, GMA Integrated News